Origins: Fallon and Hawke
by A'Rion Larent
Summary: This is added content for "A Pirate's Proposal." Discover the roots of Hawke's Fereldan lover, Arya Fallon–raised by both an apostate mage and a Seeker. And while we're at it, why not take a look at Hawke's own upbringing before the Blight and before Anders decided to blow up the Chantry.
1. Chapter 1

Origins: Fallon and Hawke

Disclaimer: Dragon Age and the marvelous world of Thedas belongs to Bioware. I only take credit for my OCs.

Note to My Readers: I'm so sorry about the lack of updates on "A Pirate's Proposal"! I just graduated college and everything has been crazy (for lack of my descriptive capabilities at the moment). Anyways, I've begun to play through the entire dragon age content (starting from DAO), and am thus not up to par to continue with any DA2 content. That doesn't mean I'm never going to finish "A Pirate's Proposal" (that's simply preposterous), but I do need to get back into DA2 before I can write anything good. In the mean time, I'd like to provide you all with Arya's backdrop story, and perhaps some of Hawke's before the events of DAO.

Chapter One: The Mage and the Seeker

The summers were always short in Ferelden but little Arya did not mind their briefness; instead she chose to bask in the momentary reprieve from the usually chilly weather. With all her energy she burst past the gilded door of her home and was just about to crash into a passing Chantry sister, when a gentle, but firm, grasp held her back.

"Arya, tackling Sisters in broad daylight is never a good idea."

Arya looked up at the man who spoke with a calm voice, and grinned at his expression-it was the same mischievous grin that she wore. Her father was as much a child as she, and at the age of 5, Arya believed him to be the most wonderful of playmates.

"Your mother would surely give us both a scolding if we caused trouble." Arya's father extended his hand for his little girl to take. "This way neither of us is in danger of getting lost or tackling Sisters in the streets."

Arya gladly took her father's slim hand in hers. They continued their walk down the road and Arya noticed one of the castle soldiers walking their way. As he drew closer, Arya recognized him as the one that always came over for dinner.

"Why if it isn't the devious duo of Highever!" The man bellowed as he approached Arya and her father. "By the Maker, what are you feeding this little one… she will outgrow you in no time, Daren. From the looks of it, perhaps you should be the one eating more!" The muscled man roared with laughter as he patted Daren's back.

Daren smirked and placed his hand on the large soldier's back. Before the soldier could retreat, he felt a slight electric current course through his body.

"Talbot, I simply have no use for all that muscle like you do." Daren pulled back his hand and chuckled as Talbot shook off the effects of the mage' s magic.

It wasn't enough magic for anyone to take notice, and Daren trusted Talbot as a brother of sorts. Talbot laughed but took a step back from his mage friend, and kneeled down to talk to the small girl with midnight tresses.

"Your father is a very funny man, do you know that?"

Arya nodded and with sparkling eyes she looked up at her father.

"Just make sure he doesn't get in too much trouble. We both know your mother would flay him alive if he did."

Arya looked back at the soldier with a stern gaze, nodded and gave him a salute. Talbot smirked and saluted the girl back.

"I'm letting your bad behavior slip because I trust this little one to keep you in line." He winked at the girl and she smiled.

She began to pull her father towards the fountain that she liked to visit often. The friends bid goodbye and the duo was off for a day of fun. Arya climbed up the fountain ledge and let the cool water tickle her fingers. Daren sat by his child and also grazed the water with his palm. He missed living in the wilderness, hidden from the ever observant eyes of the templars; he remembered how much fun he had with his magical prowess, and how he never had to worry about what others might think–he was just a mage having fun, and not trying to possess anybody.

Arya splashed water in his direction, causing him to snap out of his reverie. He smiled and sent a rather large wave of water in her direction. Her eyes widened as she saw the unavoidable mass of water, and in mere seconds she was soaked. She parted her wet locks and looked at her father with large, puppy eyes. Daren suddenly felt a pang of guilt as he looked into his daughter's lilac-colored eyes.

"I'm sorry…" he drew closer to pull her in for a hug, "I shouldn't have–" but before he could finish his apology he felt his balance shift roughly towards the fountain waters. He plunged in and reemerged even more soaked than his daughter.

Arya's laughter spread like chimes in the wind, and Daren couldn't help but chuckle at his predicament. He got out of the fountain and noticed a couple of nobles pass by with shaking heads–of course they wouldn't approve. Arya was nothing like the other children, and often times got in trouble whenever she played with them. No one, save Talbot, really welcomed the strange family, but Daren didn't mind just as long as Arya and Arill were happy.

"I win." Arya spoke as she shook her hair of water.

"Indeed, this duel is over, I am soaked through and through." Daren stood up and stretched his arms; water was dripping from every piece of cloth he wore.

"What in the Maker's name happened to the both of you?" A woman's stern voice caused the two to straighten up.

"My love!" Daren was surprised to see her out and about; usually she didn't return home until the darker hours. "We were just…"

"We were burning!" Arya ran to her mother and clung to her calf. "We needed water!" She was clearly being over-dramatic, but it always worked in her favor.

Arill sighed, but smiled as she knelt to be at eye level with Arya. Arya looked into her mother's lilac eyes and was happy that they were much like her own. She had always thought that her mother was the most beautiful woman in all of Thedas, even if she could sometimes be scary.

"I'm sure you didn't need this much water." Arill touched Arya's damp clothes. "And you…" she motioned for Daren to come closer. "You obviously lost in whatever game you were playing."

Daren chuckled and nodded as he approached his family.

"She used the very same tactic that you used to woo me."

Arill blushed and gave her husband a deadly look.

"That would be the second tactic you used to actually bed–"

"Daren!" Arill quickly rose and clobbered him on the head. Arya laughed, but gave her father a pat of sympathy. "Our daughter has already picked up a lot of your free spirit; I can only hope some of my sense rubs off on her."

"More than half the time, it's Arya who is telling me to behave, so I think it's innate in all the Sparrow women."

"Good." Arill smiled and planted a kiss on Arya's forehead. "Now, go play by the fountain for a little bit while I talk to your father."

Arya didn't need to be told to go play twice, so the couple was left to a private conversation in no time. Daren looked at his wife and tried to pick up on any outward signs of distress, but she was as calm as ever.

"Daren… I'm not sure how much longer we can stay here. It's been five years…"

"No one's figured out, why would they start to question now?"

"Some of the nobles have become suspicious. I dare say they are almost as good as looking into our business as I am at looking into the affairs of the Templars."

"I'm not sure I follow, what do you mean?"

Arill looked at her husband and took note of his simple, white shirt, black pants and boots–he looked as domestic as could be. Meanwhile she stood beside him in full armor, two swords at her back, and a cloak. She had never thought too much about their roles as husband and wife–Daren was better and more able to care for Arya, and Arill was a skilled warrior and investigator, and that was that.

Daren felt her gaze and knew what she was alluding to. He had grown up in a rather irregular household, and thus had never really developed a societal sense of what a man was supposed to be and do, or what a woman was supposed to be and do. He quickly learned that there were certain expectations, but he also quickly learned that he wanted nothing to do with them. He was happy as he was and saw no wrong in it.

"That's hardly any reason to think that they might suspect–"

"Shhh…" Arill put a finger to her lips as the clanking of metal boots came nearer. "Knight-Commander Baltic, I trust everything is in order."

"My, my, my, and here I was hoping to catch you off guard." The Knight-Commander came to a halt before Arill. "I suppose a Seeker, such as yourself, is always on top of things."

"If I am to be the eye that the Divine needs me to be, I must."

"It's been 3 years since the last apostate case needed your guidance. Don't you think it's time you headed elsewhere? Not that we don't appreciate you, but it is a common sentiment that you would be of more help elsewhere." Baltic looked at the man beside Arill; he had heard rumors that the Seeker was somehow involved with him. "Unless of course you have other reasons to stay."

"I do as the Divine instructs; no less and no more."

"Of course…" He eyed Daren once more, before turning and saying "may your ever watchful gaze see the apostates even we cannot track."

Arill watched as the templar walked with his clanking metal boots, and then turned to look at her husband; the husband that no one was supposed to know she had. She had never planned to marry, or to have a child, but she had planned to be a Seeker, and that caused more trouble than ever. Not only had she married a man, but she had married an apostate mage. He had taken her off guard, literally. While she was hunting a rather hateful and cruel apostate, she had made the mistake of underestimating his abilities. If Daren hadn't intervened, she may have lost more than her pride that day. It was his magic that allowed him to save her, and his humanity that compelled him to do so.

"We leave tonight." Arill turned to walk away before Daren could protest.

Arya went running after her mother, but Daren stopped her before she could catch the warrior. The little girl looked at her father with a quizzical gaze.

"Sometimes we mustn't tackle warriors in broad daylight either." A small, sad smile graced his features.

Arya nodded even if she didn't fully understand. She knew her family was different, but she didn't realize how different until the night they fled Highever.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I have no idea why it took me so long to post this; I had it done awhile ago and simply believed I had already added it on fanfic! Sorry! Anyways, hope you enjoy the read!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC.

Origins: Fallon and Hawke

Chapter 2: The Mage and The Noblewoman

In another village, further south in the lands of Ostagar, resided another rambunctious child, and another family that defied the Chantry's strict laws. A girl cautiously opened a sturdy wooden door, and poked in her head–a head full of twigs and leaves. She carefully slid through the small crack in the door and began to tip toe to one of the room on the far end of the hallway.

"Marian."

The lanky girl stopped dead in her tracks and slowly turned her head to see her mother standing right behind her. She wasn't sure how her mother had managed to sneak up on her; she must have been an assassin in another life.

"Aren't you supposed to be asleep in bed?" Leandra cocked one eyebrow. "Unless…" she silently counted to three and heard the whimpers of an animal nearby. "Marian…" her mother groaned as she went to the door and found a small Mabari pup on their porch.

"I found her in the Wilds!" Marian exclaimed as she followed her mother to the door and picked up the pup. "Isn't she beautiful?"

"In the Wilds! Marian, you know you aren't to play near there, especially not at the twilight hours!" She lightly scolded the young girl, but then resumed a rather tender tone. "Anyways, we can't keep a dog. It's enough feeding your father, you and your brother and sister." Leandra tried to keep her gaze from falling on the rather adorable Mabari.

"But mother, she'll die if left alone out there." Marian clutched the pup to her chest. "She likes taking walks; that's all we were doing right before I came back. I promise I'll take care of her." The child pleaded; her piercing blue eyes sparkled with tears.

"It looks like she took you for a walk." Leandra chuckled as she pulled out a twig from her child's unruly hair. "When your father returns from his trip, we'll see what he has to say about this, but I can't promise anything."

"Thank you, Mother!" Her tears quickly vanished, regardless of the lack of guarantee, and she smiled widely up at her mother before taking off with her pup to the room she shared with Bethany.

"Come on little Feros! Bethany is going to be so happy to meet you!"

The young mage held up the pup to her face and giggled at the licks it was planting on her face. She placed Feros on the floor beside Bethany's bed, and gently nudged her younger sister.

"Beth, Beth, wake up" She whispered, "I have something to show you."

The small child of 5 murmured something in her sleep before she could begin to open her eyes. The younger girl looked dozily at her elder sister and yawned as she wrapped her arms around Marian's neck only to pull her in for a hug.

"What, sis?" The girl nestled in the crevice of Marian's neck.

"Don't fall back asleep silly girl, look what I brought home." She pulled away slightly so that Bethany could see the pup on the floor.

"A puppy!" Bethany squealed and climbed out of bed to hold the puppy.

Feros hopped into the small girls arms and allowed the younger mage to pet her lovingly. Bethany giggled as Feros tried to lick her face, and turned to Marian.

"Mama let you keep her?"

"Not yet, but I won't give her up." Marian grinned with confidence as she petted the pup and calmed her down. "Let's go show Carver."

"Show me what?" A small boy walked into the room while rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Baby brother!" Marian smiled as Feros charged at the young Hawke. "Watch out!" But the warning came too late, and the small pup tackled the young boy to the wooden floor.

"Ah!" Carver shielded his face from Feros' lapping tongue. "Sis, help me!"

Hawke hurried over and picked an affectionate Feros off of her brother. She laughed and patted the pups head until she emitted a yawn and and snuggled in Marian's shirt. Carver picked himself up and eyed the puppy with big, round eyes–he had always wanted a pup.

"Can we keep him?" Carver asked and looked up at his eldest sister.

"I think Father will say yes." Marian held the pup tenderly and placed a small kiss on her forehead.

"Oh will I now?" A booming voice entered the room much to the children's surprise.

"Father!" Marian ran to him with Feros held tight. "Welcome home!" She exclaimed as he picked her up with ease.

"Pa!" The twins ran at him and each latched on to a leg.

Leandra smiled at the scene before her, and knew their home was complete now that her husband and father to her children had returned. He had been out healing a very sick child of a family that had helped them on their voyage from Kirkwall–a journey that had been difficult and dangerous.

"How are my little apostates doing?" He ruffled Marian and Bethany's hair. "And how about my mighty stick warrior?" He knelt down and kissed all three of them on their foreheads. "And who is this?" He eyed the pup in Marian's arms.

"Her name is Feros," Marian lifted the sleepy pup to her father's face. The pup whined but then lazily licked her father's cheek. "She's a good pup." Marian vouched for the tiny mabari.

"This is a mabari, Marian, do you know what that means?"

Marian looked into the clear blue eyes of her father and made her own clear blue eyes just as hard and stern as his were. She didn't know what difference it made that Feros was a mabari, but she didn't want to seem unprepared to take care of her pup. She shook her head and hugged Feros close to her. Feros let out a yawn and snuggled against Marian's shirt until she fell asleep.

"It means that she's already imprinted on you; it wouldn't matter if I said you couldn't keep her; she'd always follow you around anyways." He grinned and pet the sleeping pup.

"I can keep her then?" Marian was elated as she looked at both her parents.

"You will be responsible for training her and taking care of her." Marian's father stood back up next to Leandra. "What say you dear?"

"A mabari," Leandra sighed, "of all the pets; your grandparents would be ecstatic." Leandra lightly chuckled as she thought of her noble parents and her very sheltered upbringing. She honestly missed their company, and quickly veered her thoughts before the sadness could set in. "I will allow it, as long as you all get to bed and take care of her properly."

The children squealed in joy, but with a slight cough from their father, they all remembered that they were supposed to head to bed. Instead of returning to his room, Carver joined his sisters in their shared bed so that he could also sleep with the pup. Leandra chuckled at the image before her. The bed was barely big enough to fit all three children, but they all seemed perfectly content as they drifted off to sleep.

The adults exited the room and returned to their own. Leandra lay on the bed and watched as her husband shed his clothes and rinsed his face in the washing bin. When Leandra had first met the apostate mage, she had thought him to be a warrior of some sort–he was tall, with broad shoulders and muscles all around. Not to mention, he carried two blades with him instead of a staff. It wasn't until later that he revealed to her that not all mages were limited to staffs, and that he was, what the Dalish called, an arcane warrior.

"How was the child?" Leandra asked as he lay beside her.

"He was very weak when I arrived," he laced his arms around his wife as he said so. "I used every healing tactic I knew of but… he didn't make it."

"Malcolm... I'm so sorry, love." She felt his arms tighten around her.

"Magic can't fix everything."

Leandra held her husband and knew he would have a sleepless night regardless of how worn out he was from the trip.


End file.
